U.S. patent number 6,150,961 [Application Number 09/198,378] was granted by the patent office on 2000-11-21 for automated traffic mapping.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Neal J. Alewine, James C. Colson, Abraham P. Ittycheriah, Stephane H. Maes, Paul A. Moskowitz.
United States Patent |
6,150,961 |
Alewine , et al. |
November 21, 2000 |
Automated traffic mapping
Abstract
A system of mobile units are installed in multiple vehicles in
traffic. These mobile units include both wireless communications
devices and apparatus that determines the location of each vehicle.
Monitoring a vehicle's position as a function of time also reveals
the velocity of the vehicle. Position and speed information is
periodically broadcast by the vehicles to a central monitoring
station and to neighboring vehicles. At the central monitoring
station, the collective input of a set of vehicles is processed to
provide an instant chart of traffic conditions in the area.
Warnings of delays or updates on traffic conditions on the road
ahead are then automatically returned to subscribers of the
information or are used as part of an Intelligent Vehicle Highway
System (IVHS). Neighboring vehicles within a region communicating
with one another form a network in which the broadcast information
is processed locally on the respective vehicles to estimate
possible problems ahead and consider computing an alternate road
and/or checking with the central monitoring station for more
information. If out of range of the central monitoring station, the
vehicles in the network form a local area network for the exchange
and update of information, and when any vehicle in the network is
within range of the central monitoring station, the local area
network data is uploaded to help update the overall traffic
information.
Inventors: |
Alewine; Neal J. (Lakeworth,
FL), Colson; James C. (Austin, TX), Ittycheriah; Abraham
P. (Danbury, CT), Maes; Stephane H. (Danbury, CT),
Moskowitz; Paul A. (Yorktown Heights, NY) |
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22733147 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/198,378 |
Filed: |
November 24, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/995.1;
340/905; 340/989; 380/271; 455/421; 455/456.1; 455/507; 455/509;
701/117; 701/118; 701/119; 701/414; 701/423; 701/468 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G
1/01 (20130101); G08G 1/096716 (20130101); G08G
1/096741 (20130101); G08G 1/096775 (20130101); G08G
1/096811 (20130101); G08G 1/096844 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G08G
1/09 (20060101); G08G 1/01 (20060101); G08G
001/123 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/995,989,905
;455/456,509,507,575 ;701/207,118,215,119,200,213,117 ;380/271 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lee; Benjamin C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McGuireWoods LLP Kaufman; Stephen
C.
Claims
Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and
desire to secure by letters patent is as follows:
1. An information collection system comprising:
a plurality of mobile units each having a wireless communication
device;
a central monitoring station receiving data directly from at least
one of the mobile units; and
each of the mobile units having a receiver, each said receiver
receiving transmissions directly from the central monitoring
station and displaying information at the mobile unit,
wherein mobile units out of range of the central monitoring station
communicate with the central monitoring station by communications
which hop from one or more mobile units to the central monitoring
station,
where each of the mobile units is installed in a vehicle and has
means for determining a location of the vehicle in which it is
installed.
2. The system of claim 1 in which the central monitoring station
generates a map of traffic conditions based on information
transmitted from mobile units installed in vehicles.
3. The system of claim 2 in which the information displayed at the
mobile unit is traffic information.
4. An information collection system of claim 3,
wherein the data received by the central monitoring station from
the plurality of mobile units includes position and velocity
data.
5. The information collection system recited in claim 1 wherein the
means that determines location of a vehicle is a Global Positioning
Satellite (GPS) system.
6. The information collection system recited in claim 1 wherein the
central monitoring station includes a warning generation system
which transmits warnings to mobile units installed in vehicles
about to enter traffic jams.
7. The information collection system recited in claim 1 wherein the
central monitoring station includes a warning generation system
which transmits warnings to an Intelligent Vehicle Highway System
(IVHS).
8. An automated traffic mapping system comprising:
a plurality of mobile units installed in vehicles in traffic, each
said mobile unit having both a wireless communication device and
apparatus that determines location of a vehicle on which it is
installed;
processing means in each of said mobile units, said processing
means communicating location information to other vehicles in a
region via said wireless communication device and receiving
location information from other mobile units in said region via
said wireless communication device and processing said location
information to generate a local traffic map of said region.
9. An automated traffic mapping system comprising:
a plurality of mobile units installed in vehicles in traffic, each
said mobile unit having both a wireless communication device and
apparatus that determines location of a vehicle on which it is
installed;
processing means in each of said mobile units said processing means
communicating location information to other vehicles in a region
via said wireless communication device and receiving location
information from other mobile units in said region via said
wireless communication device and processing said location
information to generate a local traffic map of said region; and
a central monitoring station receiving location information from a
plurality of said mobile units, said mobile units within said
region attempting to transmit location information to said central
station within a predetermined number of hops but failing to reach
said central station, operating as a local area network within said
region until said central station is within reach of at least one
of said mobile units within said region.
10. A computer implemented method of automated traffic mapping
comprising the steps of:
receiving at a central monitoring station information from a
plurality of mobile units installed on vehicles;
generating a map of traffic conditions at the central station and
transmitting traffic information to the mobile units; and
receiving and displaying the traffic information at the mobile
units,
wherein for mobile units out of range of the central monitoring
station, further comprising the step of communicating with the
central monitoring station by communications which hop from one or
more mobile units to the central monitoring station.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the gathering and
interpretation of information from mobile stations and, more
particularly, to generating a map of traffic conditions from data
collected from mobile units over a wireless link providing instant
position data.
2. Background Description
The gathering and interpretation of traffic information is a manual
operation. Traffic information gathering services such as Metro
Networks rely on human information sources; e.g., police and fire
departments, traffic aircraft, reports phoned in by mobile units,
and the like. The information is then interpreted and manually
entered into a database. By the time the information gets to a
user, it is often too late for the user to take advantage of the
information. In many instances the information is no longer
valid.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses a set of twenty-four
orbiting satellites to allow ground-based users to determine their
locations. Systems for automotive use have dropped in price to the
point where they can be purchased for a few hundred to a few
thousand dollars. These systems are either built in to the vehicle
(e.g., the Cadillac On-Star system) or are portable in a lap top
computer (e.g., the Delorme GPS Tripmate system). Such systems,
however, are essentially passive, one way systems; that is, they
provide the driver with position information based on GPS data. In
the case of the On-Star system, there is an integrated cellular
phone, but this is used only when actuated by the user or in case
of an accident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a map
of traffic conditions generated by data collected from mobile units
over a wireless link providing instant position data.
It is another object of the invention to provide a map of traffic
conditions which contains the instantaneous velocities of the
mobile data collection units.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a warning system
for mobile units based upon data held in the traffic map generated
in accordance with the teachings of this invention.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide warnings sent
to vehicles about to enter traffic jams or used in an Intelligent
Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) system for the general public.
According to the invention, there is provided a system of mobile
units installed in, for example, vehicles in traffic. These mobile
units include both wireless communications devices and apparatus
(e.g., a GPS system) that determines the location of each mobile
unit. Monitoring a mobile unit's position as a function of time
also reveals the velocity of the mobile unit. Position and speed
information is periodically broadcast by the vehicles to a central
monitoring or base station and to neighboring mobile units.
At the central monitoring or base station, the collective input of
a set of mobile units is processed to provide an instant chart of
traffic conditions in the area. A statistical sampling of mobile
units may be sufficient to give an accurate estimate of traffic
patterns. Warnings of delays or updates on traffic conditions on
the road ahead are then automatically returned to subscribers of
the information or are used as part of an Intelligent Vehicle
Highway System (IVHS).
Neighboring mobile units within a region communicating with one
another form a network in which the broadcast information is
processed locally on the respective mobile units to estimate
possible problems ahead and consider computing an alternate road
and/or checking with the central monitoring or base station for
more information. If out of range of the central monitoring or base
station, the mobile units in the network form a local area network
for the exchange and update of information, and when any mobile
unit in the network is within range of the central monitoring base
station, the local area network data is uploaded to help update the
overall traffic information.
In addition to the central monitoring or base station, a plurality
of relay stations can be installed to provide better coverage for
an area or region of interest. The relay stations, having more
power, can better transmit and relay data to and from the central
monitoring or base station which might otherwise be out of range of
some vehicles in the covered region. Alternatively or in addition
to, a plurality of base stations may be connected in a larger area
network, and mobile units communicate with a closest base
station.
The general concept of the invention may be extended to multiple
mobile units where there is a need to define a routing/hopping
procedure. Each mobile unit must have a unique identifier (e.g., a
mobile IP address). Hopping from unit to unit is based on the range
(mobile units who can hear you or not) of the units. Each mobile
unit tries to reach the closest base station by checking how many
hops away each reachable unit is from a base station. When a probe
signal reaches a base station, the signal percolates back to the
mobile units which registers how many hops away it is from the base
station. Routing across reachable mobile units is prioritized based
on the hopping distance. Broken hopping chains are by-passed by the
first unit in the chain that detects the missing element. When
reaching a base station, a mobile unit can register to that base
station so that messages can now be routed (e.g., percolated back)
from base station to the unit. A header designates communication
from and to the base station and broadcast or one-on-one messages
(to neighboring mobile units). Mixed modes exist for the traffic
mapping performed partially locally and by the central monitoring
or base station. Local base stations may register connected devices
to a global directory of the service provider for lager scale
routing.
The user set may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government
service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service provider.
The customers may subscribe to a traffic information service that
provides instant traffic condition updates based upon the reports
of the whole user set. Discounts may be offered to those
subscribers who join the information providing user set.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages will be
better understood from the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial representation of an automated
traffic mapping system including a plurality of vehicles with
mobile units installed that communicate with a central monitoring
station according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile unit installed in a vehicle
and the central monitoring system which communicates with the
mobile unit via a cellular infrastructure;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the central monitoring system showing
the data flow of the data processing and mapping process
implemented on a computer at the central monitoring station;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the mobile unit showing the data flow
of the data processing and mapping process implemented on a central
processor unit (CPU) in the mobile unit; and
FIG. 5 is a simplified pictorial representation of an automated
traffic mapping system including a plurality of vehicles with
mobile units installed that communicate with each other and at
least one communicates with a central monitoring station according
to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1,
there is shown a plurality of vehicles on an expressway 110. Some
of these vehicles 101, denoted with an "X", have mobile units
installed, while the rest of the vehicles 105 do not. The set of
vehicles 101 may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government
service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service
provider.
The mobile units each include a wireless communication device, such
as a cellular telephone, and apparatus, such as a GPS system, which
determines the location of the vehicle in which it is installed.
While a GPS receiver is the preferred location determining device,
it will be understood that other location systems, such as those
based on triangulation algorithms (e.g., LORAN (long-distance radio
navigation system)), may be used. Position and speed information is
periodically broadcast, as represented by the reference numeral
115. These broadcasts are received by neighboring vehicles and, as
represented by the reference numeral 116, at a central monitoring
station 120. Neighboring vehicles 101 within a region communicating
with one another form a network in which the broadcast information
is processed locally in the mobile units installed on the
respective vehicles 101. If the vehicles 101 are out of range of
the central monitoring station 120, the vehicles in the network
form a local area network (LAN) for the exchange and update of
information. The vehicles forming the LAN locally process the
information broadcast by other vehicles in their region to generate
a local traffic map of the region. When any one vehicle in the LAN
is again within range of the central monitoring station 120, the
LAN data is uploaded to help update the overall traffic
information.
FIG. 1 may be viewed as an overall diagram of the architecture of
the system. At the central monitoring station 120, the collective
input of the set of vehicles 101 is processed to provide an instant
chart of traffic conditions in the area. Depending on the size of
the set, a statistical sampling of vehicles in the set may be
sufficient to give an accurate estimate of traffic patterns.
Warnings of delays or updates on traffic conditions on the road
ahead are then automatically returned to vehicles 101 in the set
from the central monitoring station 120. Alternatively, or in
addition, the information may be used as part of an Intelligent
Vehicle Highway System (IVHS).
Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown the principle components of a
mobile unit 101 in communication with the central monitoring
station 120. In the preferred embodiment, the mobile unit includes
a GPS device 203, typically a commercial unit which includes a
self-contained antenna and receiver. Data from the GPS device 203
is passed to the central processing unit (CPU) 204 which computes
and stores a current location of the vehicle from the GPS data.
Monitoring the vehicle's position as a function of time also
reveals the velocity of the vehicle. Alternatively, the CPU 204 may
have an input from the vehicle's speedometer, which input is
periodically sampled and stored. The stored data, i.e., the
vehicles's current location and speed, is periodically broadcast
via, for example, a cellular infrastructure 215.
The broadcast, in addition to being received by neighboring and
similarly equipped vehicles, is received by the central monitoring
station 120, which also receives the broadcasts of other vehicles
in the set of vehicles. The data from each received broadcast is
processed in a computer which implements a data aggregator and map
generator function 222 which accesses a central map database 223.
The data aggregator and map generator function 222 infers from the
aggregate data input from the several vehicles in the set of
vehicles 101 traffic congestion in the area and by accessing the
map database 223 can generate alternative routes for individual
vehicles in the set. The central monitoring station then broadcasts
warnings of delays and updates of traffic conditions ahead together
with alternate routes tailored for individual vehicles in the set,
either automatically or upon request. In the case of a fleet of
vehicles, such as delivery trucks, where the routes are known in
advance, the alternate route information may be transmitted
automatically. On the other hand, where set of vehicles 101
comprises subscribers whose routes are not known in advance, the
alternate route information is transmitted upon request with
information identifying a desired destination.
As shown in more detail in FIG. 3, the central monitoring station
120 when it receives a broadcast from a mobile unit (MU), the data
received is registered or identified by specific mobile unit, and
the position and velocity data from the mobile unit is stored with
the mobile unit identification by the data aggregator and map
generator function 222. The data aggregator and map generator 222
then requests traffic map data from the map database 223. The data
received from the mobile unit is aggregated with data received from
other mobile units, and the aggregate data is used to update the
traffic map. The updated traffic map is then returned to the map
database 223. The central monitoring station 120 then broadcasts
the updated traffic map to the mobile units via the cellular
infrastructure 215.
As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile unit 101 includes a GPS device 203
which, at power on, enters an initialize sequence. During this
sequence, the GPS radio receives and identifies transmissions from
a plurality of GPS satellites, and when a sufficient number of
satellite transmissions have been acquired, obtains a
three-dimensional lock on the vehicle position and velocity. Also
at power on, the processor 204 polls the GPS device on status. When
the three-dimensional lock has been acquired, the vehicle position
and velocity data are input to the processor 204 in response to
this poll.
As part of the power up sequence, the processor 204 also initiates
a data connection with the cellular infrastructure 215.
Periodically, the processor transmits via this connection to the
data aggregator and map generator (DA/MG) function in the central
monitoring station and to other mobile units. As part of this
transmission, the processor registers its identification and sends
the position and velocity information received from the GPS device
203. When a traffic update is received from the central monitoring
station or from another mobile unit via the cellular infrastructure
215, the processor 204 requests new position and velocity
information from the GPS device 203 and updates its local map.
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1 in that of a plurality of vehicles on
the expressway 110, some of the vehicles 101 denoted with an "X"
have mobile units installed, while the rest of the vehicles 105 do
not. As in FIG. 1, the mobile units have the ability to broadcast
information and receive information, as represented by the
reference numeral 114. However, in the example illustrated, only
vehicle 502 is in range and able to communicate with the central
station 120, as represented by the reference numeral 117. The
vehicles that are out of range, e.g., 503, 504 and 505, may
communicate with one another and with vehicle 502. Thus, the
vehicles 101 may have their information relayed to and from the
central monitoring station by vehicle 502. Additionally, if for
example the vehicle 505 is out of range of vehicle 502 but is in
range of vehicle 503 and vehicle 503 is in range of vehicle 502,
the information from vehicle 505 may be relayed to the central
monitoring station by successive relays; e.g., 505 to 503, 503 to
502, and finally 502 to central station 120. This process is
referred to as "hopping" from vehicle to vehicle.
The vehicles that are in contact with the central monitoring
station by a single or multiple hops form a collection or network
501. The collection or network may be configured into a local area
network (LAN) or may be simply a diffuse collection of vehicles in
which information flow hops from vehicle to vehicle. A
routing/hopping procedure makes this possible.
Each mobile unit has a unique identifier (e.g., a mobile IP
address). A mobile unit tries to reach the central monitoring
station by checking how many hops away each reachable mobile unit
is from the central monitoring station. When a probe signal reaches
the central monitoring station, the signal percolates back to the
mobile unit, which registers how many hops away it is from the
central monitoring station. Routing across reachable mobile units
is prioritized based on the hopping distance. Broken hopping chains
are bypassed by the first mobile unit in the chain that detects a
missing element. When reaching the central monitoring station, a
mobile unit registers at the central monitoring station so that
messages can now be routed (percolated back) from the central
monitoring station to the mobile unit. A header in the
communication frame designates communication from and to the base
station and broadcast or one-on-one messages to neighboring mobile
units. Mixed modes exist for example for the traffic mapping
performed partially locally and by the central monitoring
station.
The system may be further enhanced by the use of relay stations
and/or multiple monitoring stations rather than a single central
monitoring station. The use of relay stations would allow mobile
units out of range of the central monitoring station to communicate
with the central monitoring station via the relay station either
directly or by hopping from one or more mobile units to the relay
station. Multiple monitoring stations may be connected in a larger
area network to provide greater coverage and allow for distributed
processing among the multiple monitoring stations. Mobile units
would register with a closest monitoring station, either directly
or by hopping from one or more mobile units. The monitoring
stations perform a distributed computational function of generating
the map of traffic conditions or other relevant data processing
function. It is also possible to distribute the traffic information
processing function among the plurality of mobile units. This is
done on a regional basis in the preferred embodiment where a
plurality of mobile units are temporarily out of range of the
central monitoring station. On a more global basis, the central
monitoring station can be replaced by the distributed processing of
all the mobile units in a wide area network (WAN) topology formed
by a plurality of regional LANs that dynamically vary according to
the hopping distances between vehicles.
While the invention has been described in terms of preferred
embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and
scope of the appended claims. For example, the teachings of the
invention may be applied to wireless communication among mobile
units in buildings and underground structures, including a
wireless/IR PDA network in a building. Other applications include
person or fleet tracking, out of area wireless services, and beacon
services (e.g., based on preferences, information can be provided
to a user when a user comes within a given area).
* * * * *